Posted On 26 Aug 2021

Microsoft has announced significant changes in its new Windows Server 2022 release with references to the ways server updates will be provided. At present, channels are updated semiannually; the company is intending to move to its Long Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) model. This model provides users with five years of mainstream support and an extra five years of extended support. Microsoft have said that this offers long servicing options and functional stability for systems, and it would be available when installing either Server with Desktop Experience or Server Core options.

The company said that the past system of semiannual updates had a focus on microservices and containers, but this will stop with the version 20H2, which became available October 2020. The semiannual updates were useful for customers who wanted to try out all the newest features in Windows Server, whilst LTSC will only provide security and non-security updates, without any new functionality or features.

Microsoft have promised that once the LTSC system is in place, major new versions of Windows Server will be made available every two or three years.